Safer Federal Workforce Task Force Releases Updated COVID-19 Testing FAQs

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, launched by President Biden to guide federal agencies on safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, has released a new set of FAQs surrounding COVID-19 testing procedures.

FEDmanager previously reported on guidance issued by the administration that would allow agencies to ask about the vaccination status of their employees. This guidance raised many questions regarding how this practice would be enforced, and what widespread testing measures could be instituted for those who were not vaccinated.

According to the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force, agencies must establish a screening testing program for employees who work on site who are either not vaccinated against the coronavirus or decline to disclose their vaccination status.

The task force states, “Agencies may satisfy the requirement to establish a screening testing program in a variety of ways, including through in-house capabilities, a contract with one or more third party testing provider(s), an interagency agreement with another agency that has testing capabilities, or a multi-agency contract.”

The updated set of FAQs also confirms that refusal to comply with a COVID-19 test may result in disciplinary action against a federal employee unless the employee has a disability or a religious exemption that prevents them from being tested.

Employees that refuse testing can be barred entry to the agency workplace. If the employee cannot perform their work outside of the office, they must be placed on paid administrative leave until the question of disciplinary action is resolved.

Additionally, the updated FAQs note that agencies will be required to pay for testing services. Agencies may use any COVID-19 viral test, such as a PCR or antigen test, that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to detect current infection. Agencies can also use a pooled specimen test, in which multiple specimens from individual tests are combined. If this leads to a positive result, each individual specimen must be retested.

Only those federal employees and contractor employees who are not fully vaccinated or decline to provide their vaccination status and who work onsite are required to undergo regular testing. If an employee who is not fully vaccinated or declines to provide their vaccination status does not report to a worksite during a particular week, they do not need to be tested that week.

For more information on testing and vaccination requirements, federal employees can read the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force FAQs here.